General Overview of the Consequences of African Water Conflicts

Abstract

This review article introduces the reasons and consequences of the water conflicts in Africa. Water is vital to life and an incredibly essential resource. The role of water has been growing in the last 21 century. Earlier crude oil was regarded as the black gold, but nowadays, water is the blue gold. The climate change, the insufficient water management and overpopulation have been causing water scarcity in Africa. The countries which suffer water scarcity have to face various challenges such as drought, hunger, poverty and disease. As a result of the lack of water, the habitants of the affected territory have to leave their home and migrate to new lands. This migration causes tension between the new comers and the original local population. The tensions and conflicts generate more and more refugees and migrants who have to wander further. Therefore significant numbers of people leave the African continent and migrate to Europe and to other parts of the World. The European Union is looking for solutions for the problem however; the outcome of any possible solutions could cause more conflicts in Africa which could generate more migrants and asylum seekers